Separated

6

A few weeks passed by and Alice had calmed down a lot since her breakdown that night with Hermonie. 

Alice was now getting dinner ready for her daughters arrival home from spending the weekend at FP's place.  

Just as the timer went off she hears them coming in through the door. "Mommy!! We're here!!" She hears the young girl yell throughout the house.

"In the kitchen!" Alice exclaims back putting the dish on top of the oven to cool down before serving. She turns around to see her daughter coming into the kitchen and her father in tow. "There's my baby-girl. Come here" Alice bends down to her level as the girl runs into her mothers arms. Alice pecks a kiss to her cheek. "I missed you so much" 

 "I missed you sooo much too, mommy" Sophia pulled back smiling "Guess what happened this weekend" 

Alice grins at her daughters excitement "What happened?" 

Sophia shows her new smile. "You lost your tooth?!" Alice asked upon seeing the girls front tooth missing. 

The young child pulled the tooth that was in a zip baggy out of her pocket. "Ya. See! And I got ten bucks from the tooth fairy!!" She shows her mother. They came to find out that tooth was a  stubborn one and wouldn't come out. It had been loose for months.

Alice chuckles "I'm happy for you baby" She pulls her back into another hug. When they pull apart she stands up still looking down at her daughter. "Dinners done how about you go wash up?" 

"Okay. I'm starrrrving" she exaggerates.

FP was watching the whole mother- daughter reunion from his spot on the other side of the room. And the two adults share a laugh over their daughters dramatic response as the girl ran upstairs. 

The two stood in silence for a moment before Alice spoke up. "Ten dollars for a tooth? Really FP? That's way more than we ever got" She jokes bringing up their childhood memories.

FP joins her by the counter "It's all I had" he exclaims in defense.

"Even if it wasn't all you had you still would've given her that much. You spoil her too much" she grins at how he spoils their daughter. He was always a good father no matter how much he doubted himself.

"She's my little girl how could I not?" he shrugs. 

Sophia came running back into the room when she breaks the adults conversation. "I'm done"

Alice takes the dish of food that was on the oven to put it on the center of the table. "Can daddy stay and join us?" She asks innocently looking between her parents..

Alice looks up from what she was doing and looks at FP then at the child who was giving her puppy dog eyes. She definitely knew how to get her way. She had her parents wrapped around her finger. "Okay but only if he wants to. He might have something to do" 

FP looks at Alice asking for her confirmation without talking and mkaing it noticeable for the young child and he takes the cue and walks over to the girls "I'm free. Of course I'll stay for my peanut" The little girl jumped up and down before taking her seat at the table. Alice smiled at the interaction of the two. They really were two peas in a pod.

--

The three had finished dinner and FP was planning on leaving after dinner not wanting to overstay his invitation. It was weird for them both how the dinner felt like nothing ever happened. It felt like him and Alice were still together and the small family was just having a regular dinner. 

Alice was washing dishes when she had Sophia get ready for bed. FP got up from his seat and walked over to grab his jacket off the seat. "I think I'm going to head out" he announces to Alice.

"Okay" She turns around to look at him putting the final dish down. "Make sure you tell Soph bye because she will be mad if you don't" She jokes. 

FP chuckles at her statement " I know" he chuckles. "I've learned before how mad she can get" he jokes back as they walk to the bottom of the stairs. "Soph come down and say goodbye to your dad" Alice tries to get her daughters attention who was upstairs from her spot downstairs.

Sophia comes downstairs to where her parents were standing. "Nooo daddy.... I want you to tuck me in with mommy" She pouts. "Pwease"

FP and Alice share a look and Alice gives him a nod of reassurance. "Okay. I'll stay to tuck you in" 

She smiles widely looking at both her parents "Yayyy"

He picked the young girl up in his arms and carried her upstairs with Alice following close behind. "What book are we reading tonight?" Alice curiously asked.

"Erhmm" Sophia looked at all the books on her book shelf "That one" she pointed before getting into the middle of the bed making enough room for both adults like they would do back when they were still together.

"Good choice. We haven't read this one in a while" Alice says pulling the book off the shelf and joining the child. 

She goes to open it and start reading but it interrupted "Daddy you get on the other side" She exclaims at her father who was sitting on the edge of the bed. And he does as she says and gets on the other side of her while Alice laid on the opposite with the book in her lap.

After minutes of reading the girl was already passed out. The blonde closed the book and put it on the stand beside the bed as FP gave the girl a light peck on the forehead before climbing out. He reached his hand out to help her out of the bed also seeing that she was struggling to get out of the small bed.

"Thanks" Alice mumbled quietly just enough for him to hear and not wake the sleeping girl. The blonde bent down and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before following FP out of the room. 

The two made their way back downstairs. Alice walked him to the door and before he was able to open the door she laid a hand on his arm making him turn around to face her. "Tonight was unexpected but thank you. I know how much tonight meant to her, having us all together" 

FP smirks at her looking into her bright ocean blue eyes. "I'm just glad I got to spend  few extra hours with her" and 'you' he thought quietly.

She also looks into his dark chocolate eyes. They were standing awfully close. Both getting lost in each others eyes. They could easily kiss she thought. 

But they didn't.

Just when he thought she would make that move she clears her throat and steps back away from him. 

"I should go" FP announces taking a step back also.

"Ya" She nods following him to the door. "Drive safe"

He walks out the door and turns to take one last look at her. "I will, Ali"

She grins, giving him a small wave before shutting the door and locking it.

She leans back against it and closes her eyes. What were you thinking? she thought to herself.

Once he reaches his truck he stops in his tracks and takes one last glance at the house that was once his and is now the home of just his girls wondering what if they would have went for it.